DA Form 67-9-1: Army OER Support Form Advice for Platoon Leaders

If you are a new Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army, you should educate yourself about the Army OER Support Form (OSF). One of your responsibilities as an officer is to manage your career effectively. The OSF will help you do that.

First of all, when you are first assigned to a new unit, your supervisor will sit down with you and conduct an initial counseling. When they do this you will get a copy of their OSF. Their form will give you detailed information about the unit's goals and major training focus.

At the end of the counseling session you normally have up to 30 days to prepare your own OSF. Your objective is to establish platoon objectives based upon your company commander's objectives. In other words, what must your platoon accomplish for the company to accomplish its goals?

Normally, your OSF should have four major parts. They are:
(1) Training, (2) Soldier Care, (3) Equipment and Soldier Readiness, and (4)personal goals. Within each of these four major areas, you should set 3-5
goals.

Once you've articulated your objectives onto your OSF, you should
create a plan of action to attain those goals. In other words, schedule training and complete tasks that move your platoon closer to those goals.

On the last day of each month, sit down for 30 minutes and update your OER Support Form. Make a list of your major accomplishments during the past month and update that information onto the form. That way, your OER Support Form is a working document.

Most new Lieutenants make the mistake of waiting until the end of the rating period to update their OER Support Form. In my opinion, that is a big mistake. If you wait until the last minute, you will forget many of your major accomplishments during the rating period.

Remember, it's your career. Be proactive and manage it wisely.